You're right to be concerned about the futue of the town centre. But the Policy Team in Planning is actually very good and very committed to Warrington. They have obviously flagged up the policy issues in this case, but (not for the first time ) will have been over-ruled from 'on high' . I'm sure that the recommendation from the officers really means the recommendation from the Director, and not from those who really know and care about enforcing the policies!

Birchwood Bob If this is the case, then what is the point of having a policy? And if there's no point in having a policy, what is the point of the current inquiry into policies following the records destruction and Marton Close scandal? And why have a team of people in the planning department? Should we get rid of the lot of them and just have the Director decide from 'on high? Not for the first time we need to as the ultimate question: where are our elected councillors?

Can I assume that Helen Jones MP would be in favour, having welcomed the Decathlon store ?

GM you are quite correct in questioning the point of having planning policies if local authorities themselves are going to ignore them. Unfortunately that's what happens all over the country, not just in Warrington, wherever someone 'with clout', usually one of the Council Directors or the politicians, decides that they are an inconvenience. Areas of deprivation and employment levels are two of the most convenient reasons to forget adopted policies, despite these having been agreed through a lengthy legal process involving widespread public consultation. It's not democratic but it's the real world. My own view in this case is that the Council should be protecting the town centre, which is far more important than employment in the immediate locality. I think you may be confusing landuse planning policies and more general professional issues when you start talking about policies relating to the destruction of records. My initial comments relate only to the former and what should be permitted. I regularly deal with many different local authorities and their planning policy teams. My experience has been that Warrington has one of the best to deal with in terms of their helpfulness and professionalism. The destruction of records relating to planning applications is something different entirely. I know little about the Warrington case and haven't been following the details. But I'm certain its different people we're talking about. Lastly, regarding CTP's comments, if you're going to get rid of anyone, I suggest you make it the autocratic Director. In my experience they usually know less about what's going in their area than any of their staff. And you'll save more money!

There does not seem to be a planning application for this project yet. So it is impossible to register objections at this stage. The best thing to do now would be to write Helen Jones MP (via http://www.writetothem.com/ ). That is what I shall do.

Although not doubting Birchwood Bob’s sincerity on the basis of his own experiences, his take on the planning department is intriguing. However, after reading and rereading the LGO’s report I am not convinced of any apparent positive commitment of the Planning Policy Team (whoever they are?) or anyone involved in planning in this borough for that matter. There has been a marked absence of openness and transparency in too many of planning related matters for too long to suggest otherwise. I share GM’s and CTP’s hope that our local "elected" Councillors will begin to face facts, get a grip of things and come up with some solutions for the current mess at the Town Hall in line with public expectation. But like them, I fear this but a dream and a wild one at that. It is to be hoped the independent inquiry, even with such a limited remit, has not been arranged to be yet another version of pass the parcel of responsibility. Where everyone points accusing fingers at everyone else, ticks the ‘right boxes’ and proclaims their own blamelessness, in the hope it will bemuse us in to accepting and settling for the now usual mantra of "lessons leaned", and so forget all the other planning related mismanagement and maladministration.